ravaged hearts

CHAPTER NINE,

RAVAGED HEARTS | CHAPTER NINE

  THEN,

  "THIS IS INTERESTING," Io murmured to herself, sipping from the cup in her hand. She'd gone over some potential social events they could attend with Louis a few days earlier, carefully picking where to put themselves out there. Then she'd headed to the right restaurants and the right places, and within days the invitations came in. Now, she stood in a medium-sized ballroom of some former, retired (and probably disgraced) minister. It wasn't a big event—fairly small and lowkey, actually, but they needed to start somewhere.

  Louis was in the corner, chatting with some young lady. She ignored the sudden twinge of jealousy that rooted itself in her heart—that was negligible. Head in the game, head in the game. She tore her gaze away from them and to the couples dancing in the centre of the ballroom. She'd just come back from a dance of her own, carefully extracting herself from the far too interested gentleman's arms.

  All part of her charm. It was all just part of her charm. And the things her mother had used for a living, the wiles and manipulations she'd used to get information.

  Io flexed her fingers and shook her head slightly. Head in the game. Okay. There was no one particularly suspicious in the room, not yet. They shouldn't be present in such a small event. If they were, the Banderin Circle was a lot deeper than they'd originally expected, which would not be good news. That would mean more work. More danger. More risk and more threat. All the things Io did not want to deal with.

  Though considering her present location, those were futile wishes.

  Her eyes travelled back to Louis and the girl. They made quite a striking couple. What was her name again? Daphne Estay Olan. Some socialite and heiress. Her family name wasn't familiar, so she wouldn't be from a big one. She was pretty. Dark brown hair and hazel eyes, a smiling face that lit up the entire room.

  Io hated her. Passionately.

  She was being ridiculous. Completely and utterly ridiculous. But she couldn't stop herself.

  She walked over.

  Miss Estay Olan noticed her first. Giving a quick bop of the head, she asked, "May I help you?"

  Io flashed one of the smiles she was known for. It could match the other girl's, probably. "Miss Estay Olan, isn't it? Pleasant to meet you. Mr Carrion, I was wondering if you saw where Miss Peralez had gone?" The name was completely made up. But Estay Olan was new enough to society she probably wouldn't realise.

  Louis seemed to get the message. Enough talking to one person. Time to actually do things. Io did not admit that she was only annoyed because he seemed so into it. Seemed so interested and invested and she didn't want him doing it with anyone else, especially not another girl. She was being stupid and ridiculous and she knew it but she didn't care. She was being petty and selfish and putting the mission on the line but all that mattered in that moment was the envy brewing within her.

  She'd always been a stubborn person. It was both her greatest strength and biggest weakness. Her fatal flaw, Lady Kuroki once liked to muse, her hamartia. Io's answer had always been simple: I am no hero.

Which was funny, because she was born with a backstory that might have belonged to one. But all her life, she'd felt as if she was one step away from getting what she wanted. But someone else always got it first.

  He tilted his head in response. "I believe she retired early, actually. Something about having visitors tomorrow. Any particular reasons you're looking for her?"